Position: Communications Intern (Summer 2012) in New York, NY
Date: May 15 – August 15 (negotiable)
About the Company:
Vestergaard Frandsen has been a family-owned company for more than 50 years, and operates under a unique “humanitarian entrepreneurship” business model that is dedicated to creating and deploying technologies that improve the health of people in developing countries.
Backed by research in the lab and in the field, our disease-control products include cutting-edge PermaNet® 3.0 bed nets, ZeroVector® Durable Lining, and ZeroFly plastic sheeting; award-winning and widely used LifeStraw® and LifeStraw® Family water filters; and innovative frameworks to reach those in need, like our LifeStraw Carbon for Water campaign, and the integrated CarePack®, which combines anti-malarial and water filtration tools with HIV testing and prevention. Thanks to our robust product portfolio, more than half a billion people in the developing world will enjoy a brighter and healthier future.
Our staff design, develop, test, refine and support the distribution of these products to NGOs, aid agencies, faith-based organisations, ministries of health, and socially responsible companies. We work closely with those distributing our products to ensure that beneficiaries are satisfied; our presence in the field is a point of pride, and is essential to understanding the needs of the end users of our innovations. All of our staff, regardless of job function, spend some time in the field.
Our headquarters are in Switzerland, with regional offices in Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, the UAE, the US, and Vietnam ensuring a global reach.
We are driven by an abiding desire to lessen the disease burden on those populations most vulnerable to preventable illness. We have aligned our business objectives with the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, and are active participants in global fora where communicable diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS are discussed and targeted. Vestergaard Frandsen is not content with “business as usual,” and has been at the forefront of innovation of disease prevention in the developing context.
About Our Office:
We are the communications department for Vestergaard Frandsen. The full-time staff of the office include: the Communications Director, the company’s official spokesperson who spearheads new communications and PR initiatives worldwide; the Communications Specialist, who writes speeches for the CEO and other senior staff, edits the company CSR report, and coordinates writing projects for our offices worldwide; and the New Media Specialist, who serves as webmaster, social media coordinator, and overseer of special new media projects.
We approach our often challenging work with a sense of humor and appreciation for the humanitarian mission of the unique company for which we work; have group huddles around the office’s sanctified Nespresso machine in mornings; and play host to Vestergaard Frandsen’s incredibly varied and interesting staff, who often zip through our office in the greatest city in the world. Our department is never boring, and a small headcount means all staff, including interns, shoulder significant responsibilities. We’re looking forward to bringing an intern for the third year into our office.
You Are:
* Available in the New York metro area for the duration of the internship for at least 20 hours a week.
* A citizen or legal resident of the US with eligibility to work.
* A bright, motivated graduate student (exceptional junior and senior undergraduates are also welcome to apply)
* Majoring in journalism, public relations, new media, communications , public health, international studies, or a similar program
* Able to demonstrate a successful track record of achievement at previous internships and jobs
* Interested in public health, development, social entrepreneurship, or international issues (experience in these areas is a plus)
* A very strong writer and researcher and can handle and give constructive feedback
* An expert in Microsoft Office. Experience in Adobe CS, expert use of the web, web design and social media experience a plus
* Graceful under pressure and can handle tight deadlines
* Not afraid to ask questions and can maintain a professional manner with high-level guests
* Able to work well within a variety of contexts and cultures and have a sense of humor
What We Offer:
This is not your ordinary internship. There will be research, writing, and editing every day, but we will also be brainstorming with you about new, big projects and you will help us flesh out plans for everything from PR for a carbon offset and public health campaign in Kenya to targeting film festivals to helping redesign the corporate website to supporting our other offices with writing and designing content for presentations and trainings. There will be conferences and events to attend in the New York area where you will receive additional exposure to the world of public health and in-the-field communications experience. What you will be focusing on is up to you. We can run the gamut from web design to speechwriting to media relations, and design an internship experience that is as rewarding to you as it is us.
Compensation:
We offer college credit, a performance-based stipend at the end of the summer, an unlimited Metrocard, and the occasional nice lunch out on the town.
In your application please include: resume, cover letter, and writing sample

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